Lamp scheduled to plead guilty in child’s death

PARKERSBURG – A Parkersburg man charged last year with the death of a child is scheduled to plead guilty this morning in Wood County Circuit Court.

Matthew E. Lamp is scheduled to plead guilty to the death of a 3-year-old child in his care.

Earlier this year, Lamp was indicted on charges of murder of a child by a guardian or custodian and death of a child by a guardian or custodian stemming from an incident in September 2012.

According to court records, the child in Lamp’s care was critically injured Sept. 30 at the 32nd Street home of his mother in Parkersburg. The child, identified as “DK,” was taken to Camden Clark Medical Center. Detectives from the Parkersburg Police Department and Child Protective Services were called by hospital personnel.

The child was later taken by medical helicopter to Morgantown, where he died a few days later.

According to the criminal complaint, the victim was left in the “care, custody and control” of Lamp.

Lamp was believed to be the boyfriend of the child’s mother. She initially told police the child’s injury was accidental.